Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Family Social Science, 2012
M.A., University of Minnesota, Family Social Science, 2009
B.A., University of Minnesota, Psychology, 2006

• Adolescence and young adulthood
• Alcohol and substance use
• Externalizing and internalizing behaviors and disorders
• National/international traumatic events (collective trauma)
• Parenting, peer, sibling, romantic relationships
• Personality and temperament
• Proximal processes
• Risk, protective, and resilience factors
• Transdiagnostic factors (emotion regulation, impulsivity, disinhibition, negative affect)

HDFS 2010     LIFESPAN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN FAMILY CONTEXT
HDFS 3030     ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT IN THE FAMILY
HDFS 3980     UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AND STUDY
HDFS 4980     ADVANCED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
HFDS 7010     CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT IN CONTEXT
HDFS 7900     DIRECTED STUDIES
HDFS 7990     RESEARCH AND THESIS
HDFS 8990     RESEARCH AND DISSERTATION

2024   Nominated for the Undergraduate Research Mentor Award, College of Human Sciences, Association of           Public and Land Grant Universities
2020   Awarded the SGA Faculty Member of the Year for the College of Human Sciences, Auburn University
2018   Nominated for SGA Outstanding Faculty Member from the College of Human Sciences
2017   Accepted to participate in the competitive Early Career Reward program for the
      Center of Scientific Review (NIH)
2016   Faculty Excellence Award, Department of Human Development and Family Science
2016   Outstanding Professional Paper/Publications Award by the Families and Health Section of the NCFR
2015   Outstanding New Professional Paper Award by the Families and Health Section of the NCFR

College Experiences and Beyond Study
Intramural and internal funding
Principal Investigator: Diana R. Samek

Description: The purpose of this study is to oversample first-year students of color via a cohort-sequential, longitudinal design (N = ~400, ~70% BIPOC, ~50% female, ~16% LGBTQ+) to evaluate psychosocial risk and protective factors for internalizing symptoms and potentially co-occurring problematic substance use among diverse late-adolescents/emerging adults as they transition through college.

Persistence of Alcohol Use Disorders: Person and Environment Effects
08/01/2016-08/01/2019
National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Funding
R03 (small grant) mechanism ($148,000 total costs)
PI: Samek, D.R.

Description: A secondary data analysis of the Minnesota Twin Family Study (N = 2,769, 96% white, 52% female) is proposed to evaluate for complex processes of individual-social context interplay as it relates to substance use disorder onset and course from adolescence through late young adulthood. A 6-wave data set will be used, with comprehensive assessments of personality, substance use, and social context at each time point.

PreVenture in Alabama
Internal funding
Principal Investigator: Diana R. Samek

Description: The purpose of this study is to pilot the evidenced-based mental health promotion and substance use prevention program, PreVenture, to consenting middle- and high-school students in Chambers County, Alabama. We will evaluate whether mental health symptoms and substance use (attitudes and behaviors) change in pre- and post-program surveys, including a follow-up survey 3-6 months after program completion.

*indicates graduate student

Samek, D.R., *Crumly-Goodwin, B., Akua, B.A., Duke-Marks, A. & Hinnant, B. (2025). Negative emotions associated with recent national/international traumatic events, links to internalizing symptoms, and exacerbation by frequent/intense social media use. Emerging Adulthood, online first publication, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968251344665

Samek, D.R., *Crumly, B., *Akua, B.A., Dawson, M., & Duke-Marks, A. (2024). Microaggressions, perceptions of campus climate, mental health, and alcohol use among first-year students of color. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 34, 96-113. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12897

Samek, D.R., *Akua, B.A., *Crumly, B., Duke-Marks, A. (2024). Increasing mental health issues in college students from 2016-2019: Assessing the intersections of race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. Journal of Affective Disorders, 354, 216-223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.068

Samek, D.R. & *Akua, B.A. (2022). Predictors of stable alcohol use disorder and potentially co-occurring depressive symptoms: Insights from the longitudinal College Experiences Study. Journal of Adolescence, 94(6), 844-854. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12068

*Nichols, L.R., Samek, D.R., *McConnell, L. (2019). Key personality traits and alcohol use disorder symptoms in first and second year college students: Detangling antecedent from consequence. Addictive Behaviors, 89, 178-187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.10.004

*Goodman, R.J., Samek, D.R., Wilson, S., Iacono, W.G., & McGue, M. (2019). Features of interpersonal relationship context and major depressive disorder symptoms: Exploring antecedent vs. consequence using a developmental cascade approach. Development and Psychopathology, 31, 1451-1465. doi: 10.1017/S0954579418001037

Samek, D.R., Hicks, B., Durbin, E. Hinnant, J.B., McGue, M., & Iacono, W.G. (2018). Co-development between key personality traits and alcohol use disorder from adolescence through young adulthood. Journal of Personality, 86, 261-282. doi: 10.1111/jopy.12311

Samek, D.R., *Goodman, R., Erath, S. McGue, M., & Iacono, W.G. (2016). Antisocial peer affiliation and externalizing disorders in the transition from adolescent to young adulthood: Selection versus socialization effects. Developmental Psychology, 52, 813-823. doi: 10.1037/dev0000109

Samek, D.R., Rueter, M.A., Keyes, M.A., McGue, M., & Iacono, W.G. (2015). Parent involvement, sibling companionship, and adolescent substance use: A longitudinal, genetically-informed design. Journal of Family Psychology, 29(4), 614-623. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000097